A/N: Hello everyone! Did everything enjoy their summers? I had a great one, to be honest. And I'm so excited for Book 4. I think it'll take about 4 months for it to arrive at the local bookstores as I don't live in America and so it'll take a bit longer for the books to be shipped to where I live.
I don't think it takes that long. I live in Canada and it only takes a while for new books to arrive.
You know nothing, Artmateur.
Anyway, welcome to the new collaborative- and first out of hopefully many- fic of PlayerPrincessJediFANGIRL, starrystarrysteph and princessartmateur (wow, two fake princesses writing together!). We've been buddies for a couple of years and we all share similar interests, and that's how the story was born.
Wait, we're buddies?
Yes, we are. Now let me finish, okay?
If you like this, leave a review. If you don't-
Flames will be used for roasting marshmallows.
Don't interrupt!
What? I'm hungry. Serious people are never fun. Lighten up!
At any rate, bear with us, and on with the tale!
Yay! Don't forget to tell us what you think!
(Chapter co-written by Player and Princess, and beta'd by camilledicaramello. TLEA-friendly, not compatible to the Ever Never Handbook. Post-war, Fourth Year.)
Agatha wasn't sure what to expect from her Fourth Year as she once again entered the doors of the School for Good. She was overwhelmed with nostalgia and a good sense of realization that she, among one other, had already received her Ever After, and that she would be the only one person in the class to receive so before Fourth Year.
Tedros had not wanted to come back to the School for Good. He'd been determined to rebuild his kingdom despite their lack of Good studies completion, and driven by anger and misery at the state of the fallen Camelot, he'd turned down Dean Dovey's offer.
"I helped kill the greatest Evil of our time," he'd scoffed, as Sophie gave a cry of indignant objection. "Do I still need to learn how to fence with beginners?" Agatha had supported his ambition but chose to complete her last Year. She'd lost so much in, and for, the war- Callis, who by blood was not her parent, but would stay her mother always; Cinderella, her kind albeit rough mentor who'd died embracing her sisters; Lady Lesso, who'd risked her life through Good and Evil, Boys and Girls, Old and New for balance, and had saved her and Sophie's life millions of times. She'd, and the other Evers, missed a whole year of Good education, while the Nevers had only trained for Evil combat and not practical spells or talents. Last year had took a lot from all of them.
The odd sense of familiarity grew stronger as Agatha stepped into the large hall, its walls brandishing murals and the letters E-V-E-R, reminding students that nothing about their loyalty has changed, that they were still Good regardless of the last year where they were Nevers in the School for New. Seeing the elaborate designs on the wall made Agatha tear up just a bit. The first time she'd seen them, she'd mocked the pure angels, the friendly Princesses, the brave hunters for believing in a cause that wasn't real. But they were, and Agatha was part of their world, even though she still did stick out of the crowd a little.
The bold red 'Tonight' Sophie had scribbled on the letters had disappeared, along with any reminder of Evelyn Sader's reign. Blue flags were burnt and butterflies exterminated, gender inequality erased once and for all. Professor Dovey promised a gender-neutral new schedule where Boys also beautify and Girls join in swordfights and gym, as did Sophie, whose new school was over-the-top and bearing multiple Sophie-ish touches like clubs and makeup stations and walk-in wardrobes. Evil had been made new and it had never looked so… good. Agatha would have to congratulate the new dean of Evil later.
"Agatha!" someone hollered from across the hall. Chaddick, Tedros' best mate whom Agatha had got along fine with, waved. They'd spent a few weeks together, helping Tedros chase wolves out of a town in Camelot.
"Hey, Chaddick." Agatha wasn't especially fond of seeing Beatrix, the girl who'd made her life a living hell back in First Year. Beatrix did teach her fellow students how to defend themselves in secret after all. She'd be civil. "Hello, Beatrix."
"Agatha." Except for a little scar along her cheek, Beatrix looked the same, with wavy golden tresses on her head, a layered, pearly pink dress that clung to every curve. However she no longer stared at Agatha with the haughty, I'm-the-best expression. Her eyes lightly sparkled gratitude and respect, and she wasn't hovering over Agatha. "It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise." Maybe saving Good and rebalancing Pure and Wicked had earned her a few stars in Beatrix's book. "Well, I'll see you in class, won't I?"
"You will," Beatrix smiled. Agatha wasn't certain if she was dreaming or not. Beatrix never smiled genuinely at Agatha. Tooth-flashing, fake smiles? Definitely. But a sincere one? Never.
The war's changed everyone, Agatha thought as she waved goodbye to Chaddick and Beatrix and headed for Purity Tower. Shrinking back a little as she passed fellow Evers pointing at and whispering about her, she soon reached her very first dorm room.
Purity 51 seemed to have never been altered. Pink walls, large window, even the lack of mirror (she'd given it to Sophie in her first year). This room had once survived Dean Sader and the School Master's rule, and the colors had probably been made over before the war ended (blue for the School for Girls and black for the School for New, presumably), but now it looked almost the same as it was when Agatha first came to the School for Good. A wave of nostalgia hit Agatha- when was the last time I've been here?- she was a pink-hating, messy-haired weirdo when she first entered this very room. Now she was this Good heroine who went through trials and tribulations and fought against and with her best friend multiple times, her best friend and worst enemy, who was a witch. Definitely different.
Her books and schedule was sitting neatly in a pile on her desk. A little bit of surprise overcame her when her eyes stopped at the new subjects. Chivalry. Defense Against Evil. Alchemy. And so on.
Alchemy? Agatha frowned. Not once had she heard anyone use this term, and it had never been a subject in the School for Good and Evil. Probably something including walking around and hauling hammers. Like gym, maybe. Or it might be something involving magic, and spells… we did miss out at least 2 years of proper magic education, after all… Thanks to Dean Sader and the School Master, there wasn't any proper Good education. The former Dean of the School for Girls only taught defensive incantations to get rid of boys, and the School Master taught Dark Magic. Those were definitely not from a Good child's syllabus. Perhaps Professor Dovey wanted them to learn the, as she would say, 'proper way of wielding Good's magic', and not the 'dark, wicked side of spells, dedicated to serving malicious witchcraft and sorcery'.
Or maybe her first guess was right and Agatha would have to chuck balls and engage in a fist-to-fist battle, then graduate a muscular princess and live her sad short life (or long. Sports enhance health and longevity, she was told) doing push-ups with Tedros.
Not a happy thought. Well, excluding the Tedros bit.
At any rate, she didn't know what to expect. And familiar place, with the identical decor and people, but with brand new challenges, notably changed faces and shifted attitudes. Good or bad, she'd have to face it anyway. At least the threat of Evil Domination was over, and she could stop being afraid of death, or Good's destruction.
The dove fluttered endlessly in her heart. In anticipation or nervousness, she didn't know. All she knew was her story was over, hooray, and hopefully, she wouldn't be involved in the new one.
Because what good could turn out from another war, or another crazy tale?